📏 How to Correctly Set Up Units of Measure (UOM) in Packem

Setting up your Units of Measure (UOM) properly is critical for accurate inventory tracking, smooth receiving, and fast, error-free shipping — especially when you’re handling liquids or products sold in variable packs.

🧠 What’s a Unit of Measure?

A Unit of Measure (UOM) tells the system how your product is stored, sold, picked, or shipped.

🍺 Real-World Example: Craft Beer in Drums, Gallons, and Liters

Let’s say you store and sell beer as a liquid:

Type UOM Name Conversion Use Case
🟢 Primary UOM Liter 1 Used for stock visibility + per unit pricing
🟡 Other UOM 1 Gallon 1 Gallon = 3.785 L Used for orders in US market
🟣 Other UOM 2 Drum (200L) 1 Drum = 200 L Used for warehouse storage + full keg shipping

🧠 In this case, Packem will convert inventory and orders properly — so a sale of 2 Drums will subtract 400 liters from your inventory.

📦 More Product Examples

Product Primary UOM Other UOM 1 Other UOM 2
Wine bottles Each Case of 6 Each Case of 12 Each
Olive oil Liter Carton of 6L Pallet of 96L
Protein powder Each (jar) Carton of 12 Master Pallet of 120
T-shirts Each Inner Pack of 10 Master Carton of 50
Coffee beans Kilogram Bag of 5kg Sack of 25kg

✅ Best Practices for UOM Setup

  1. Start with your smallest trackable unit

    → Usually what you sell or pick individually (e.g. Liter, Each, Jar)

  2. Define each UOM with exact conversion rates

    → E.g. 1 Keg = 30 L, 1 Gallon = 3.785 L

  3. Use real names, not vague ones like "Box" or "Bulk"

    → Instead say “Carton of 12” or “Keg (30L)”